Evening on the Lake, 20x24, original painting by Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki

Last weekend, my husband and I found ourselves on the top of Mount Seymour, gazing toward the smoke-covered city. Vancouver looked smoking hot with action. Sadly the smoke was from one of those wildfires we came to expect every summer.

There was almost no one around, just the 360 degrees of spectacular scenery, despite the haze. My muse was hovering among the distant mountaintops in the north.

When did summers become such hurricanes of art-ctivity? This year we have open studios, art walks, art festivals, plein air competitions. Everyone and their dog wants to see art, and what a joy it is for artists to oblige.

This morning, I dropped off The Arbutus Beach Study to the Harmony Festival Group Show in West Van, and the Winter Trail Mount Seymour to the Lynn Valley Public Library Gallery for the You Are Here exhibit. North Shore looks wonderful today, buzzing with art!

I remember long lazy days of lounging in the garden, occasionally picking up a brush to capture the summer mood en plein air. Those were good times too.

To each artist their own. Some thrive in pandemonium, others in a quiet solitude. My inspiration blooms in nature. I seek the huge rugged shapes formed by the elements, crystalline waters, intricate patterns of plants.

I have to get myself up on the mountain more often and spend less time chasing my tail. I am scratching off a few items from my calendar and adding some new hiking trails.

The opportunities that truly matter are those that take us to the places where our muse hangs out. Mine seems to like the vistas of our spectacular land.

Twenty new paintings and studies inspired by our naturally magical land will be featured in this exhibit. Please join us on July 20th for the opening reception. This will be a great opportunity to chat about the mysteries of the creative process.